Chapter 33: Reed Stalk and Konjac Root

She had been walking all day and needed to find a place to bathe.

Hearing Mu Tong ask Duo Ji to go bathe, and seeing that she herself was also prepared to wash up, A-Yu took the initiative to lead the two of them to the Red Water River, not far outside the tribe.

There were already some tribe members bathing and washing clothes by the river. Upon seeing the trio approach, they greeted them in a friendly manner. When they looked at Mu Tong, their smiling eyes seemed as if they were looking at a pile of food.

Yes, that was exactly how Mu Tong felt. In those naked, unblinking gazes, wasn't there a clear longing for food?

A-Yu stopped and gestured that they should wash here. This spot was downstream from the mouth of the tribal valley, so bathing here would not contaminate the water used for drinking.

With so many people around, how could she bathe? Mu Tong was not in the habit of bathing in front of others. She shook her head immediately and turned to head upstream, hoping to find a place that was both private and suitable for bathing.

Following the river upward, Mu Tong soon found a perfect spot: after a bend, a large patch of wild reeds grew along the bank. Further up, there was a flat stretch of river beach. The tall reeds blocked the view of those downstream. After asking A-Yu, who confirmed that few people came this way, she decided it was the perfect place to bathe.

She shooed Duo Ji and A-Yu to the other side of the reed patch, then jumped into the river and swam upstream. Seeing no one around, she ducked into the reeds.

She plucked a blade of wild grass and scooped up some river water for Xiao Qiang to analyze. The results came back quickly. Although the grass differed slightly from reeds, its composition was similar, and the river water was clean and safe to drink.

Hearing the good news, Mu Tong quickly stored a thousand cubic meters of water into her bracelet. The thought of being without water was terrifying; she needed to stock up for whenever it might be needed.

The bracelet had originally been crafted by Mu Tong for Zuo Xiaojun. It was adorned with nine stones, including spinel and garnet, chosen because they were not overly precious—Mu Tong had no desire to attract unwanted attention.

Each of the nine gems contained a storage space of 1,000 cubic meters. Three of them had been filled for Zuo Xiaojun, who was her sister-in-law at the time. Unfortunately, after Mu Chang’s accident, Zuo Xiaojun had absconded with the assets, and the bracelet was never given away, so Mu Tong kept it for herself.

A person drinks about 1,600 liters of water a day. One thousand cubic meters is equivalent to 1,000 tons, or a million liters—enough to last one person a very long time. Naturally, even with bathing and cooking, it would easily last for over a decade.

Thinking that reed tassels could be used to make brooms, the stalks for weaving mats and curtains, the fluff for filling pillows, and the rhizomes—known as reed roots—for medicine, Mu Tong couldn't help but cut down more reeds and leave them on the bank. She would take them back later. She could make a few brooms and weave reed mats for the two brothers.

Mu Tong didn't want people saying she was a freeloader. Since she was staying in someone else's home, weaving some mats as "rent" was a fair exchange. Although she possessed better cooling mats, she didn't want to bring them out, as she would have no way to explain where they came from.

Weaving a reed mat is simple: select reeds of uniform thickness, color, and flexibility; split them into two to five strips with a knife; soak them in water overnight; and the next day, press them back and forth with a stone roller, turning them twice until the strips are as supple as leather.

The weaving process itself is not complex, consisting mainly of corner-turning, mat-body weaving, and edge-finishing. These simple manual tasks were no challenge for Mu Tong, a former Foundation Establishment cultivator. Furthermore, when Xiao Qiang was on Earth, it had collected a vast amount of information on such crafts—and much more besides.

Because she had decided to weave the mats, Mu Tong cut even more reeds and left them on the bank.

The two brothers watched her busy work and asked curiously, "A-Tong, is this water grass edible?"

Mu Tong paused. Was their obsession with food that deep? Did everything she touched have to be food?

"No, this is for making other things," Mu Tong replied. She didn't explain in detail; it would be easier once the finished products were ready. Otherwise, no matter how she described things they had never seen, they wouldn't be able to imagine them.

Duo Ji was visibly disappointed to hear they weren't edible, but the boy still enthusiastically helped Mu Tong transport the reeds. Well, Mu Tong had already decided in her mind to name these plants that looked so much like reeds "reeds."

Remembering that reed roots could be used as medicine, she began pulling more of them up.

The roots were deep and difficult to pull, but this didn't stop Mu Tong. Although her cultivation was gone, she had practiced martial arts, and having been fed so many body-tempering and longevity-enhancing substances by Yun Feng, she was quite strong.

However, as she looked at the flat, round tuber in her hand—resembling a large water chestnut—she realized it clearly wasn't a reed root!

She quickly asked Xiao Qiang to identify it, and the result left her both shocked and delighted: the shape and composition were identical to the konjac plant from Earth. It was truly miraculous!

The plant above ground looked like a reed, but the tuber below was konjac! What a strange combination!

Though puzzled, she reminded herself she was not on Earth; plants here were bound to differ. After a moment of surprise, she calmed down. Since it was konjac, she should gather more. Making konjac flour and then turning it into konjac tofu was one of her favorite foods.

Hearing that the roots were edible, the impatient Duo Ji joined A-Yu and Mu Tong in pulling up the plants. Before long, the bank was piled with cut reeds and various-sized konjac tubers.

"This is called konjac. It cannot be eaten raw; it must be processed first," Mu Tong warned, seeing Duo Ji’s hungry expression as he stared at the tubers. "It’s poisonous if eaten raw! You must process it or cook it thoroughly!"

Afraid that the gluttonous Duo Ji might sneak a bite, she had to emphasize it again. It would be a disaster if the kid got sick.

Hearing her repeated warnings, Duo Ji understood it wasn't for immediate consumption. But his eyes brightened again—perhaps he could eat it once it was cooked tomorrow?

After moving the reeds and gathering plenty of konjac, A-Yu and Duo Ji finished their bath and climbed onto the bank. There was too much to carry at once, so A-Yu told Duo Ji to watch Mu Tong to make sure she didn't fall into the water, while he carried a large bundle of reeds home.

Seeing A-Yu leave, Mu Tong swam to the other side of the reed patch, out of Duo Ji’s sight. She secretly stashed a large amount of konjac into her storage ring; she needed to store as much food as possible for future emergencies.

Once she finished bathing and changed clothes behind a rock, A-Yu returned from the house with a woven basket. He carried a basket full of konjac and a large bundle of reeds on his shoulder as he led the way home.